STATE HOUSE NEWS:Committee backs stiffer restrictions on distracted drivers

Tuesday

May 2, 2017 at 3:12 PMMay 2, 2017 at 3:15 PM

By Andy MetzgerSTATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

Drivers in Massachusetts would be barred from holding a cellphone to make a call, use the phone's camera or access social media under legislation unanimously supported by the Transportation Committee.

Safety advocates have argued a 2010 law banning texting while driving has not done enough to stem the damage caused by drivers distracted by their phones.

The committee's bill (H 3660/ S 1962), newly endorsed by the panel, is similar to legislation that cleared the last year, establishing an escalating series of fines that start at $100 and reach $500 for third and subsequent offenses.

The legislation would provide an exemption in cases of emergency. The version that cleared the Senate last year permitted police officers and firefighters to use handheld cell phones for official business.

Rep. William Straus, a Mattapoisett Democrat and co-chairman of the Transportation Committee, was a sponsor of the original legislation referred to his committee. The House in 2015 gave initial approval to a similar hands-free-device bill sponsored by Straus.

Motor vehicle technology has advanced to include automatic braking and lane-minding, while automakers also seek to develop cars that will not need anyone behind the controls. At the same time, there is an ever-increasing array of apps that allow people to keep in touch with friends, do work, or play games on their phones.

The committee passed the bill Friday on an 18-0 vote. The bills permits drivers to use the phone as a hands-free device or to "activate, deactivate, or initiate a feature or function."

Advocates have said it would be easier to enforce a ban on all use of handheld devices by drivers than to merely ban the sending and receiving of messages.

"We must make distracted driving socially unacceptable just as drunk driving is today," Emily Stein said at a Transportation Committee hearing earlier this year. She said her father was killed by a distracted driver.